Margie S

I enjoyed this first novel in spite of a few unrealistic coincidences and some predictibility. It involves a family of four—Andrew and Emma, the parents; and Olivia and Phoebe, adult daughters. They're quarantined during Christmas week in their stately, historic country home in northern England because Olivia has just returned from treating Liberian children who were infected with the highly contagious, often fatal virus, Haag (hmmmmm, sounds like Ebola.) The plot was rather predictable and the multiple coincidences were awkward, but it was nicely written, with well developed characters, each with his/her own voice, likes, dislikes, fears, suspicious, and secrets. Secrets! Oh my!! Secrets galore. The set up is full of secrets: Emma has a medical diagnosis she doesn't want to disclose yet because it might spoil the family's Christmas; Andrew has just received an email from Jesse, a young man he didn't know existed, who claims to be his son, the child of a former girlfriend; Olivia is in love with a fellow medical worker in Liberia, but there's a serious life-or-death complication; and Phoebe is engaged to be married to George but is having some doubts about the wedding that she is not admitting, even to herself. Of course all the secrets get spilled before the week is out. The quarantine is complicated by the arrival – and subsequent quarantine -- of George, then Jesse. But the characters are likeable, the story clips along, the family dynamics are fascinating and – even though I guessed correctly – I wanted to see what happened.